


still photos and noisy arcades

by segmentcalled



Series: i wanna wake up with you [2]
Category: Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: Backstory, Comedy of Errors, Communication, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Miscommunication, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Sexual Content, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 13:30:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21137492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segmentcalled/pseuds/segmentcalled
Summary: The Friday after E3, everyone heads on over to Jenna and Simone’s place to celebrate being done with video game hell week. Weeks. Month? Whatever it is, the worst of it is over now, with only the aftermath in deep-dives and trailer analyses looming ahead. Pat’s got some goofy concept about Gooigi that he keeps expounding upon, because he’s kind of drunk and keeps making himself laugh at the wordGooigi. Brian definitely shouldn’t find this as cute as he does.





	still photos and noisy arcades

**Author's Note:**

> _late nights and early parades,_  
_still photos and noisy arcades;_  
_my darling, we're both on the wing_  
_look down and keep on singing,_  
_and we can go anywhere_  
[on the wing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUAdrGKW-94), owl city
> 
> the subtitle of this is "when you make a joke and it spawns two entire fics"

The Friday after E3, everyone heads on over to Jenna and Simone’s place to celebrate being done with video game hell week. Weeks. Month? Whatever it is, the worst of it is over now, with only the aftermath in deep-dives and trailer analyses looming ahead. Pat’s got some goofy concept about Gooigi that he keeps expounding upon, because he’s kind of drunk and keeps making himself laugh at the word _Gooigi_. Brian definitely shouldn’t find this as cute as he does.

They did finally work up the guts to do the official coworker relationship thing today; Pat blushed through the entire conversation until Tara swatted him affectionately on the arm and told him to chill out, it’s _fine_, she’s happy for them. He still blushed, after that, but the tension in his shoulders gave way.

So it’s unexpected, but not worrisome, when Pat stands to go get a drink or something and kisses the top of Brian’s head before he steps away. Brian watches him leave the room — hate to see him go, love to watch him leave, his ass is _great_ — and when he tunes back into his surroundings, he is being fully stared at by his friends.

“What?” he says, and then, “_Oh_.”

“How long has that been a thing?” Jenna says, and wiggles her eyebrows at him.

“Uh,” Brian says, “like a week and a half?”

He watches Jenna do the math in her head and then exchange a gleeful look with Simone. “At _E3?” _ she says, outright delighted.

“Maybe,” Brian says, wincing.

“Get it, Brian,” Clayton says solemnly, which sends the attending audience into a fit of snickering right as Pat reenters the room, and the laughter redoubles at the sight of him. Pat freezes in place and looks down at his shirt.

“What, did I spill something on me?” Pat says.

“No,” Brian says.

“Just gossip,” Jenna chips in.

“Oh, jeez,” Pat sighs, and crosses the room to sit down next to Brian. He’s been very careful to keep in his own personal space all night, except for that brief lapse in judgment — “Oh my god I did kiss you in front of everyone, I’m so sorry, Brian —”

“You’re fine, Pat,” Brian says, gently nudging him with his shoulder. “They’re just laughing at us because they made the assumption that we hooked up at E3,” he adds, with a little smirk, and Pat laughs.

“I can’t believe you guys would think such a thing of us. Really. We are — we are, uh, cons — consum — _consummate professionals_,” Pat says.

“Professionals consummating, maybe,” Simone says, and winks at them and sticks out her tongue.

“Gross,” says Chelsea.

“Sorry, Chelsea,” Simone says.

“Me too,” Brian says.

“Have you two been responsible and done your HR stuff?” Chelsea says.

“Yeah,” Pat says.

“Good. Now I can say that you were being _so obvious_, you guys,” Chelsea says. “Chris and I were laughing about it, honestly.”

“I think that’s perfectly within your rights,” Brian says, with a self-conscious sort of sigh. “Sorry if we made you uncomfortable.”

“No, you’re totally okay, I get it,” Chelsea says, waving off his concern. “It’s even almost kind of cute.”

“About time, if you ask me!” Simone says. Pat side-eyes her, and she laughs. “Please, Pat, you can’t even fool me a little, you had a crush for-ever.”

“Don’t call me out like this,” he groans, and drags a hand over his face, which makes her laugh harder.

The topic drifts away from Pat and Brian, thankfully, and into things that are slightly closer to their professional wheelhouse: namely, a particularly rambunctious game of _Smash Bros_. Brian’s just far enough away from sober that he’s fucking awful at it, and taps out after the first round. Pat and Clayton and Jenna and Chelsea are having fun shouting at each other, and getting confused about who is who on the screen because they’re all playing the same character, and it’s funny and a lot of fun to watch, but it’s also chaotic and loud enough that Brian mumbles an excuse to duck away to the kitchen to get some water and collect himself before sensory overload starts to set in.

Simone follows after him, a few moments later. “You okay?” she says.

“Yeah. Just needed a minute.”

“Mind if I chill with you?”

“‘Course not,” he says, and Simone leans on the counter next to him.

“I’m really happy for you and Pat,” she says, after a few seconds of silence.

“Thank you,” Brian says, ducking his head a little awkwardly, unused to talking about this yet, much less with her. Well, okay, he’s talked to her about _romantic stuff_ plenty; she’d caught him crying in one of the phone rooms the day after his ex dumped him, and she’d hugged him and let him vent about it until he calmed down. Which was, honestly, really nice of her. He hadn’t expected her to even want to talk about that genre of topic, but when he asked later if she minded talking about romance she’d just laughed at him and informed him that she writes romance novels, Brian, don’t _assume_, and he’d stuttered, abashed, but she was not actually offended and then they spent the next hour talking about how on earth romantic attraction even works until they had to go do a video shoot.

“I mean it,” she says, with such sincerity that Brian fully turns to look at her. She’s studying him, too intense — well, a not-atypical level of intensity for her — but like she’s expecting him to say something. “I think it’s really great that you guys have finally gotten together. He’s liked you for ages.”

“I’ve liked him for ages, too,” Brian confesses, with a light laugh.

“Good. I’m rooting for you guys. You both deserve good things. I really do wish you the best.”

“Thanks, Simone,” Brian says, tempted to laugh off this probably-drunken weirdly-sincere interaction, but he can’t help but be a little touched by it anyway. She pats him on the arm and smiles at him.

“I’ll leave you alone now. I just wanted to say that,” she says. She ruffles his hair before she goes, and he laughs and gently shoves at her. She stumbles with drama and leaves him to the quiet kitchen, to the muffled sounds of smashing bros in the next room.

He doesn’t really want to leave, not if Pat’s still here, because he’s discovered that he really, really likes to spend any time he can with him. Well. That’s not new. But it’s such a novelty to be in even the same time zone as his partner, much less be within a half-hour of him at pretty much any given time, that he can’t help but want to soak it in.

Thankfully, he doesn’t have to make the decision alone, because Pat walks into the kitchen and clears his throat to get Brian’s attention.

“Hey, you,” Brian says, and holds an arm out for him. Pat steps into his embrace, pushes his face against Brian’s hair. “You lose your championship?”

“Yeah,” Pat says into Brian’s hair. “I think it’s pretty much time for me to be a responsible adult and get myself home. Simone said you were looking a little overwhelmed, so I thought I’d see if you wanted to head out too. I mean. You don’t have to come over or anything if you don’t want to, or the other way ‘round, we can just walk to the train together if you’d rather —”

“I’d love to, Pat Gill,” Brian says softly. “I’m not really in a fuckin’ mood —” Pat snorts, and Brian smiles. “— but I’m always down for some cuddling.”

“That sounds ideal,” Pat says, and kisses his temple. “I’m definitely not in, uh, in a fuckin’ mood either. Yours or mine?”

“I mean, there’s always a little bit of a crowd at my place, but if you don’t mind running into Laura and Jonah in the morning, you’re always welcome. I’m fine either way, though.”

“Do you mind if I come over, then? I told my roommate I was gonna be out late and I think he has people over.”

“Of course not! Like I said: always welcome. Plus I have better pillows.”

“True. Your bed’s super comfy,” Pat says, and Brian grins.

“Let’s go, then. I’m sure we’re gonna get teased mercilessly on the way out, might as well face the music.

Pat groans in despair, and Brian kisses his cheek and takes his hand. Pat smiles at that, that real sweet broad smile he gets when he really lets his guard down. Brian just wants to hug him so tight, hold him close. He’ll get to soon. Just a train ride away.

Laura and Jonah are in the living room when they arrive, companionably ignoring each other; Laura is reading and Jonah is doing something on his laptop with headphones on, but they both spare a smile and a wave for Pat and Brian when they come in.

Jonah slides his headphones off, leaves them around his neck. “You guys have fun?”

“Yep! Pat smooched me right in front of everyone and now they all know we’re dating,” Brian says cheerfully. Pat groans and covers his face with a hand.

“I’m sorry, okay, I really am,” he says.

“No, baby, it’s okay!” Brian says, wrapping his arms around Pat’s waist. “I’m glad they know. I’m happy being with you, and I don’t wanna hide it.” He pushes his face against Pat’s bicep, then looks up at him; Pat is blushing, and smiling, and it’s so goddamn cute that Brian doesn’t want to subject his roommates to any more sappiness and tugs Pat off to his bedroom.

They’re only a couple inches apart in height, and average approximately the same clothing size, so Pat borrows a t-shirt and a pair of pants to sleep in, and trundles off to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Brian changes too, and flops onto the bed to wait his turn.

Simone  
  
Thanks for coming over tonite!! I hope you guys had fun. Sorry if I cornered you in the kitchen lol i just wanted to make sure u know I support you guys and I’m really happy for you! ♥  
  
lol thanks simone ♥  
  


* * *

It’s annoying, tracking down every last scrap of a paper trail from before one stupid letter on his documents was changed. It’d finally gotten finalized like a month after he started at Polygon, which, like, great! He’d put it off for ages, and then had to go through the shit in New York instead of Maryland but all his stuff was in Maryland and it was a _whole friggin’ production_ but he’d thought he’d, like, finally gotten everything, probably, except Tara’s doing some organizing and found some stuff that needs to be fixed and _ugh_.

“Sorry about the mess,” she says, with a grimace at the papers scattered across her desk. “Shit, I just had your stuff, where’d it go?”

She starts flipping through pages, and Brian leans forward to see if he can spot it. Half the stuff on her desk is Pat’s, which makes sense, because they’re alphabetical neighbors and also because they might’ve prompted her to have to paw through paperwork and —

There’s a stack of papers with his name on them, but lying diagonally across them is a form dated 2016 with the name _Patrick de Rochefort_ printed neatly across the top. Which is weird, because Brian didn’t know Simone’s brother used to work here — he also didn’t think her brother’s name was Patrick, because that would be one too many goddamn Patricks and someone surely would have mentioned that —

“Ha! Got it. Here, do you mind just, like, getting a new copy of this? Sorry, I know it’s a pain in the ass.”

“Of course! It’s fine, it’s not like I’m tracking down paperwork every other week anymore, thank goodness.” Brian rolls his eyes at the concept, and Tara gives a sympathetic wince.

“Thanks, Brian. Can you grab Pat for me? I’ve got some shit for him to update, too, since I’m at it.”

He gives her a thumbs-up as he leaves her office. Pat and Simone are both at Clayton’s desk, giggling over something he’s showing them — probably some footage from the new _Overboard_, statistically speaking, and he detours by way of his own desk to shove the papers from Tara into his backpack before he goes over to them.

“Look at this thing Pat made,” Clayton says, as a greeting, and skips the video back to show Brian the new animation Pat has made. He’s gotten really fucking good at them; Brian says as much, and Pat beams.

“By the way, Tara’s looking for you. She’s updating paperwork,” Brian says.

“Oh, god,” Pat sighs, and exchanges an exasperated glance with Simone. “Wonder what I forgot to fix this time.”

“Probably wrote the wrong name down,” Simone says sagely.

“The trouble with nicknames,” Clayton says, sympathetic.

“Have you really done that?” Brian says.

“Yeah. And then Simone laughed at me for being a dumbass when I tried to send it in like that, like hey Patrick you forgot some letters there.”

“You are a dumbass,” Simone says, fondly. Pat flips her off, and heads for Tara’s office as she laughs.

Brian’s staring absently into space during his four-in-the-afternoon lapse in focus, and his eyes land on Pat and Simone. Pat slides into his chair and shows Simone a slip of paper he’s holding, and she doubles over in laughter. Brian’s headphones are on, so he has no idea what they’re laughing about, but he smiles to himself just to see it.

It’s nice to be open about dating Pat. Simone teases them relentlessly, even when they’re being professional — which is _always_, thank you very much — but she’s not mean about it. Really, all their friends have been cool about it. Brian’s even met Pat’s roommate, now, for goodness sakes, and a bunch of his friends from outside of Polygon, and no one’s been anything other than happy for them. It’s so nice.

Almost even better than that is having Pat so close. Brian’s a queer millennial who spends a lot of his time on social media; most of his serious relationships have been long-distance. The change has been interesting to get used to.

Pat Gill ♥  
  
Thinkin bout u  
  
wow ……… gay  
  
whatcha thinkin bout ;)  
  
Not even gonna lie it really was some gay shit like your smile or whatever like. Jeez I like you real bad  
  
PAT!!!! you’re so cute  
  
i like you too!!! gosh i wish i could come kiss your face  
  
I mean you could? Or I could come there? It’s not even that late  
  
If you’re busy or not up for it that’s totally fine but like. Kissing is definitely on the table  
  
omg i’m over here like oh no :( i can’t go kiss my boyfriend :( he’s too far away :(  
  
i am too used to ldrs!!! i would like to kiss you can i come over?  
  
Hell yeah!  
  


Brian grabs his jacket and shrugs it on, steps into his shoes.

“I’m going to Pat’s, don’t wait up!” Brian calls to the general audience, AKA Jonah’s closed door and Laura on the couch. Laura sticks her tongue out at him in a _don’t be gross_ face and flashes a peace sign as he leaves.

Pat sweeps Brian into a hug as soon as he’s through the door, and Brian laughs and holds him tight.

“Hey, baby,” Brian says into his shoulder.

“Hey,” Pat says, and kisses the side of his head. “Roommate’s home, just so you know.”

“Mm, okay. I won’t run around naked too much,” Brian says, and Pat scoffs. “Shall you escort me to the bedroom, my good sir?” Brian says, affecting a fancy voice, and Pat rolls his eyes, but holds out his arm for Brian to take his elbow.

Brian’s honest intentions really were just to kiss ‘n cuddle, he didn’t have — like — ulterior motives in inviting himself over, but it’s not like he’s complaining when their kisses start to get more heated and Pat’s hands slide up Brian’s shirt and Brian’s hands twine into Pat’s hair and wow yes okay!

It is _very fucking nice_, as it happens, to have a partner to call on at night, where you’re both in the same time zone and in the same country and not literally scheduling times to sext a week in advance for times you’re both going to be awake and available. It’s a lot less lonely than looking up shit you’re into online and becoming real closely acquainted with your vibrator. Plus, it’s _Pat Gill_ that he gets to call on, Pat with his dimples and dark eyes and steady hands and perfect mouth.

Look. Pat gives head like a fucking _champion_. He told Brian he’s never had a partner with Brian’s particular setup, but he is a real quick learner, especially when the result is being able to take Brian apart. And _hoo boy_, does he!

He pulls Brian down on top of him to kiss him, as promised; he takes Brian’s face in his hands and kisses him so slow and sweet. Brian is only one step removed from pajamas, in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and Pat’s attire is much the same, meaning it’s easy to shed layers pretty goddamn quick and press themselves skin-to-skin.

Brian’s had good partners. He’s never had someone be especially fucky about his gender situation, but he’s honest-to-god never had a cis partner that took so little explaining as this. Pat takes to Brian immediately and with no weirdness; he doesn’t loiter at Brian’s scars, instead leaves dark hickeys on Brian’s pecs, which is the best possible application of Pat’s mouth to Brian’s chest, in his own personal opinion. He kisses and bites and tongues his way down Brian’s belly, drops down to his thighs and latches his mouth onto a fading bruise.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” Pat says against his skin. “Can I eat you out? Please?”

“God, yes,” Brian says, and groans when Pat bites his inner thigh. “You fuck me so good, Pat, I fucking _love_ it when you put your mouth on me.”

“I wanna see how many times I can make you come,” Pat says.

“I am so down for that experiment, holy shit, you are my favorite person in the entire world,” Brian says, and breaks off into a moan when Pat drags his tongue over him.

“Fuck, baby, you taste so good,” Pat murmurs. “You’re always so wet for me. So ready to let me make you feel nice.”

“You — you do it so right, baby. Fuck, I’d sit on your face all day, if you’d let me,” Brian says, and Pat moans, and Brian sees him rock his hips down against the bed, holy shit. “You like that? You want to have your mouth on me ‘till neither of us can keep going? Tease me with your tongue, suck on my clit?”

“God,” Pat groans, and the vibrations of that hum through Brian, make him twitch up against him. His hands are so big, wrapped around Brian’s thighs. He’s a fucking gorgeous picture like this, eyes closed and mouth working and hair rumpled.

“I think about you all the time, you know,” Brian says. “I’ll sit at work and think about how good it would feel to have you inside me. Think about how good your mouth feels the whole train ride home. Want you in bed with me every night, baby — _fuck_ — I love how you make me feel.”

Pat pushes two fingers into Brian and Brian gives a shuddery gasp, and after that there’s a lot less coherent talking and a lot more moaning and cursing. Brian throws his head back and gasps _fuck yes fuck yes Patrick oh god yes, yesyesyes_, and true to form, Pat doesn’t let up, chases him through it as he comes and after, until he’s panting and shaking with overstimulation and gently pushes Pat’s head away. Pat presses little kisses to Brian’s thighs, peeks up at Brian through his eyelashes.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” Brian says, and he feels more than sees Pat’s smile.

“Lemme rinse my mouth out? I want to kiss you more,” Pat says, and Brian grins and waves him off. He lays back and appreciates the outline of Pat’s cock in his flannel pajama pants as he stands, and blows him a kiss as he slips out the bedroom door.

Brian kneels up once Pat’s back in the room, drapes his arms over Pat’s shoulders and kisses hmi soundly. He’s flagged a little in the interim, but his breath hitches when Brian drops a hand down to palm his dick. Brian smiles against his mouth, then nips his lower lip and scoots away, pulls Pat by the wrist to get him where he wants him.

Where he wants him is in front of his mouth, so Brian can tug Pat’s pants out of the way to slide his mouth down on Pat’s cock. Pat moans and braces his hands against the wall over Brian’s head; Brian grabs his ass to hold him there, and sets out to make Pat cry out his name.

* * *

“God, Pat, we are gonna have to go shopping or something, I can’t believe you don’t have a single vibrator.”

“Simone took custody of all of ‘em.”

“What? Why?”

Pat raises an eyebrow, like he’s confused by Brian’s inquiry. “We used to live together?”

“And she stole your vibrators when she moved out?”

“Well, I was the one who moved, but basically.”

Brian chooses not to examine that bizarre statement — frankly, it’s not the weirdest thing he’s heard Simone or Pat say about each other — and continues to paw through Pat’s dresser, trying to find something to suit his tastes to wear. And also see if he finds anything else interesting. “Dude. Pat. Babe. Baby. You seriously have exactly one dildo and some lube and some old condoms and that’s _it?”_

“I haven’t been getting laid regularly since about 2017, Brian,” Pat says, with a wan smile.

Brian groans sympathetically. “I cannot even _imagine_ how boring it has been for you when you jerk off.” He glances over his shoulder; confirmed, Pat is blushing. “Good thing you’ve got me. B-T-W, that offer to peg you is definitely more than a one-time deal.”

It is really goddamn satisfying, how Pat’s face goes even redder and his breath catches. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Brian says. “Got a harness at home and a way better selection of dicks than you’ve got.”

“Wow! Rude!” Pat says, eyebrows jumping upwards.

“Oh no! Nonono, I don’t mean your dick, yours is great, I mean this poor lonely silicone one,” Brian says, waving it at Pat. “Oh my god, baby, how have you gotten this far in life blushing at the sight of a sex toy?”

“It’s more just — you, you’re so — so blunt about it.”

“I gotta be. Easier to be all blasé and be like, ‘I don’t got a dick!’ than stuttering through a thesis on gender and sexuality.” He rolls his shoulders in a faux-casual shrug. “I’ve had enough conversations go weird that it’s easier to just put it all out on the table. So. That’s just the modus operandi now.”

Pat looks — sad, or sorry, or sympathetic, and Brian waves a hand to dismiss his concern.

“It’s okay, Pat, really, nothing horrible’s happened, and anyway I’m here with you now and you’re, like, super great, so it’s all good. Like, damn, you’ve done your research, huh?”

“I do my best,” Pat demurs. “You deserve the best, so. I try.”

“Quit distracting me by being sweet or I’m gonna come over there and kiss you and I’ll never manage to get clothes on,” Brian whines.

“Oh, what a shame,” Pat teases, and Brian sticks his tongue out at him. Finally producing a shirt to his taste, he pulls it on and steals one of Pat’s zip-up hoodies to go over it, then parks himself in Pat’s lap.

“Shouldn’t you put on pants? Aren’t we supposed to be leaving in, like, fifteen minutes?” Pat says.

“I like this better,” Brian says, nuzzling his face against Pat’s cheek, the scruff of his beard, as Pat lightly rests his hands on Brian’s thighs.

“I’m not fucking you ‘till we get home,” Pat warns him.

“I know. I figured. I just like it when you’re touching me.”

“God,” Pat says softly, and wraps his arms around Brian. “God, I like you so _much_.”

Brian hums in appreciation, in agreement, and squeezes him tight, in one of those fierce deep-pressure hugs that make all the tension drain out of Pat. “I like you _tooo_,” he says, and kisses his shoulder.

They do manage to get dressed the rest of the way, and head out to meet up with Simone and Jenna. There’s something about being with Pat — something especially about wearing Pat’s clothes — that makes Brian feel warm inside. Pat puts an arm around Brian’s shoulders and presses a kiss to his temple, and Brian grins up at him.

Jenna and Simone are holding hands, when Pat and Brian arrive, and look genuinely happy to see them.

“We’ve been waiting for, like, a hundred years,” Simone informs them, which seems unlikely.

“That seems unlikely,” Brian says.

“Well, it’s the truth!” Simone says. She hooks her arm through Brian’s. “Let’s _gooo_.”

“No one’s stopping you,” Pat points out mildly, and Simone yanks on Brian’s arm to get him to start walking. He staggers, laughing, and pulls Pat along with him.

Simone is neck-deep into a tangent about _Assassin’s Creed_ when suddenly she stops dead — Brian walks right into her — and says, “Pat!”

“What?” says Pat, his hand settling at Brian’s lower back. “Keep walking, everyone’s gonna hate our guts.”

Simone obliges with a huff as they round a corner, and herds them towards the stairs. “I just realized I haven’t been here since —”

“Oh my god,” Pat sighs, as they emerge from the stairs to the actual park area.

“I bet I still have the pictures!” Simone says, walking backwards for a few steps to grin at Pat and then spinning back around to link her fingers with Jenna’s.

“If your next sentence is going to be that we should recreate them, I’m turning around and _leaving_,” Pat says, and Simone throws her head back and laughs. “Was I wrong?”

“You know me too well!” she says, fishing her phone out of her pocket as the four of them traipse onwards. Brian catches Jenna’s eye and shoots her a questioning look; Jenna shrugs in reply. Well, at least they’re clueless together.

“Simone, if you pull those up, I swear to god,” Pat says.

“What!” she says.

“I look like such a dweeb, come on, have some mercy and don’t embarrass me in front of Brian,” Pat complains.

“All the more reason I should!” she singsongs. She bumps shoulders with Jenna, to get Jenna to put her arm around her to make sure she doesn’t trip on anything as she rummages through the pictures on her phone.

Pat sighs deeply, but doesn’t protest further, except to inform Simone that she’s doing the millennial thing of being on her phone instead of enjoying the excursion. She sticks her tongue out at him, and he wrinkles his nose at her in reply. They’re fun to watch, the two of them. They bicker like an old married couple.

“A-_ha!”_ Simone says. “I knew I’d have it. There’s a whole _folder_. Are you sure you don’t wanna have another photo shoot, Patrick?” she says. Pat rolls his eyes.

“Are you gonna show us what on earth you’re talking about?” Jenna says.

“Not until we get there, I think!” Simone says.

“C’mon. It’s not — it’s not even all that —”

“Pat-_rick_. Are you honestly about to say to my face whatever it was you were going to end that sentence with?”

“Oh, please,” he says. She’s already laughing. “I feel like they’re gonna think it’s something, like, actually exciting.”

“I’ve never been more offended in my life!” Simone says, putting a hand to her chest. “Brian, can you believe this man?”

“He’s terrible,” Brian says, because he’s not one to drop the ball on a _yes, and_, “just the worst.”

“Here I was, thinking you might be on my side,” Pat says, but he’s smiling, squeezes Brian a little closer with the arm he has around him. Brian beams at him.

“Can’t have everything, Pat Gill!” he says, teasing, grinning, and Pat looks like he might come back with a retort, but then just kisses Brian’s cheek instead, which is a pretty good indication that whatever it was going to be, it was probably really cute and he flustered himself out of saying it in public. He’ll try and fish it out of Pat later.

Simone halts them by a little patch of trees, as Pat gives a longsuffering sigh.

“There is _no reason_ to make such a production, honestly, Simone,” he complains, moving to stand behind Brian and wrap his arms around his waist, drop his head down to rest his chin on Brian’s shoulder.

“Everything’s gotta be a production with this group, baby!” she says. “I’m honestly surprised you haven’t seen these, Brian,” she adds, moving to stand next to him.

“Well, how am I supposed to know if I’ve seen them if you haven’t told me what on earth they are?” Brian huffs, as she holds out her phone to him and hands it over. Jenna leans over Brian’s shoulder to peer at the pictures too.

“Yep, look at that fuckin’ dweeb,” Pat grumbles next to Brian’s face, as Brian stares wide-eyed.

“Uh,” says Brian. “What?”

“What do you mean, what?” Simone says. Brian, out of the corner of his eye, sees her slowly turn towards Pat, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the picture on the phone in his hands. “Oh my _fucking_ god,” she says, “Patrick —”

“No, nuh-uh, nope, no, you cannot pin all the blame on me for this one,” Pat says.

“You’re his boyfriend, I think I can!”

“Is this a bit or were you guys _actually engaged?”_ Brian says. It does not, admittedly, like like a joke. Pat’s hair is short, in the picture, and he’s looking up at Simone, and they’re both dressed way nicer than a normal park excursion, and the looks on both their faces —

“Wait, how’d you miss that?” Jenna says.

“How did _you_ know?” Brian says, looking between her and Simone and side-eyeing Pat’s face. Pat lets go of him and steps back and Brian looks at him. “Did everyone — I — guys, what?”

“How _did_ you miss it?” Simone says, not accusatory, but confused. “We were married for almost two years?”

Brian looks from Simone, to Pat, to Jenna, to Pat again. He has no idea what expression must be on his own face, but whatever it is, it makes Pat wince. Brian catches Jenna prod at Simone, and she sweeps her away to sit on a nearby bench, which might be overkill? But.

“Were — were you trying to hide it from me?” Brian asks softly.

Pat’s eyes go wide. Sad. “No, baby, I promise I wasn’t,” he says. “I thought you already knew.” He looks like he doesn’t know whether to reach for Brian or to hang back.

“How — Pat. How on earth would I have known?”

“I, uh. God, I — I genuinely don’t even know how it missed you? We reference it a whole lot. I mean — like — even just now, would — I wouldn’t have been joking with her about it if I didn’t want you to know. Or even if I thought you didn’t know. I wouldn’t have told you like this. I’m sorry, Brian,” Pat says. He looks real goddamn anxious. Brian reaches for one of Pat’s hands and holds it in both of his; some of his tension visibly leaves him.

“I guess that does make a few things make a little more sense, in retrospect,” Brian says. “Simone sorta, uh, sorta cornered me right after she found out we were dating and was, like, weirdly emphatic about how supportive she was of it? I thought it was kind of strange, because it’s not like she has some performative allyship thing to do, so — yeah, that checks out, huh?”

Pat gives a nervous sort of laugh. “Yeah, that — that’d do it.”

“Okay, wait, though, can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” Pat says, even though he’s chewing anxiously on his lip.

“She’s aromantic, right? And you’re gay? Why would you — was it for, like — you weren’t each other’s beards or something, were you?”

That gets a real laugh out of Pat. “No, no, not at all. It was — shit, what, like 2014? Simone, hey, Simone! When did we get married?”

“You’re the worst husband!” Simone says. “October 2015, you _asshole!”_

Pat smiles, shrugs, sheepish. “Yeah. So. We didn’t have the, uh, the personal revelations until about — man, like, probably a couple months after I started working at Polygon? Obviously it was, y’know, a real amicable breakup, hah. She put up with so much of my bullshit when I started dating men. She’s the best. I don’t know where I’d be without her.” He runs a hand through his hair.

“Well, gosh,” Brian says, and tugs Pat closer to pull him into a hug, splays his hands out on Pat’s back. “I can’t say I’m not surprised, but I’m — is it shitty of me to say I’m glad you figured it out?”

Pat snickers into Brian’s hair. “Nah. Just don’t say that to Simone or she’ll pretend to be offended. I, uh. I really am sorry. I wasn’t trying to mislead you.”

“Sorry for being so easily misled! Wait. Hold up. Did you adopt her last name.”

“He sure did!” Simone says, from much closer than before. Pat lets go of Brian and Simone grabs Pat around the shoulders, tries to mess up his hair as he ducks away, laughing. “There’s your woke bae for you!”

“Will _anyone_ let me live that line down?”

“You claimed credit for it on air!” Brian says. “It’s your responsibility now. Okay, but, like, I saw — on a form in Tara’s office, and — god, I’m so stupid,” he says, laughing at himself, “I was like, wow Simone never told me her brother used to work here! It’s weird that there’s yet another Patrick!”

Simone is doubled over, laughing hard enough that they’re getting weird looks from some passers-by. “You are such a dumbass, Brian!” she wheezes, and stops terrorizing Pat to wrap her arms around Brian’s bicep. He bumps his hip with hers. “Johns Hopkins double-major and couldn’t put that together!”

“I never claimed to have common sense!”

“Do we get to have a normal day now, or are there any more revelations we need to get out there?” Pat says.

“Only time will tell!” Jenna says, cheerfully. “Maybe Brian and I have some secret past that you have to level up your friendship with us to unlock. Life is full of mysteries!”

“Oh, I haven’t leveled up my friendship level with you high enough?” Simone says, grinning wickedly at her. “What else do I need to do, huh?” Jenna winks, and Brian exchanges a look with Pat, who is biting his lip against laughter.

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m making the executive decision for us to go get lunch,” Brian says, “or else Simone’s gonna talk us into a replacement photoshoot and I am, personally, not prepared for the ramifications of that.”

“Ooh!” Simone says. “That’s a great idea!”

“Nope!” Brian says, and puts his hand on her arm where it’s wrapped around his, about to physically pull her in the other direction if she gets any ideas, just like she’d done to him earlier, “Nope, we are moving _on_ with our lives!”

He sees Pat sort of blink, and tilt his head, and Brian realizes what he said and is about to backpedal _hard_, but then Pat laughs and says, “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” and Simone lets go of Brian to lightly whack Pat on the arm, but she’s smiling, and so is Pat, and Brian feels unexpectedly — unexpectedly _warm_, at that, and Brian reaches for Pat to put his now-free arm around him. Pat kisses his head.

“Look at them, being all in love and shit,” Simone says to Jenna, mock-disdainful, and Jenna laughs and Brian _feels_ his face bloom red. “Fuckin’ adorable.”

Brian opens his mouth to say something — he doesn’t actually know what — but no sound comes out, and then Pat leans down just a little more to whisper in Brian’s ear, his breath ruffling Brian’s hair. “It’s true,” he says. “I do love you.”

Brian, then, can’t help but turn to him and pull him into a kiss, not caring at all if Simone and Jenna catcall at them, not caring about anything else at all, and when he pulls back he’s smiling and Pat’s smiling and Brian says, quiet but emphatic, “I love you too, you absolute nerd.”

Pat laughs and kisses him again, again, and once more for good measure, until Simone and Jenna actually _do_ start catcalling at them until they let go of each other, and join them to continue on their journey.

* * *

**Simone de Rochefort** shared Google Photos album **_"PHOTOSHOOT REDUX"_** with you and 2 others, with message: "Gotcha. ;)"

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes people who are very smart have no common sense and i think that is very valid
> 
> prequel to come probably the day after tomorrow ;)


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